Detecting cancer curing agents in plants growing in Vietnam

Although early detection contains active ingredients that treat cancer, so far, scientists have been able to find a way to effectively extract this type of active ingredient.

A beautiful periwinkle, acorn, coconut, spring flowers and four-quarter flowers have the scientific name 'Catharanthus roseus'. This is a plant in the genus Catharanthus of the Apocynaceae family (Apocynaceae) which is a native and endemic species of Madagascar.

Periwinkle.

However, because it is quite easy to grow, this plant is propagated in many parts of the world. Especially in tropical and subtropical countries like Vietnam, it is not difficult to find periwinkle grown by people in the house, even in fences or wild growth.

However, few people know that this plant contains an active ingredient that can cure many serious diseases like Hodgkin's disease, diabetes, malaria, white blood and especially cancer. According to the scientists, the compound is called vinblastine, first discovered in 1958.

At that time, science had not developed so strongly that although it was discovered that the compound could cure cancer, scientists still had a lot of difficulties in extracting it in periwinkle. Because it takes about half a ton of periwinkle to produce 1 gram of vinblastine .

Until recently, scientists have been able to find the most effective way to extract this compound. According to Professor Sarah O'Connor, it took 15 years, he and his colleagues, to find the gene in the periwinkle that produces an enzyme that promotes vinblastine.

'Vinblastine is one of the most complex natural structural compounds in plants. That is the reason why over the past 60 years, many people have taken time to study it. So far, I still cannot believe that we are successful ' - Professor Sarah O'Connor shared.

With the success of the research that Professor Sarah O'Connor and her colleagues have done, scientists are hoping that they can promote the development of vinblastine on other plants or fungi. Thereby, it helps the synthesis of cancer curing compounds more effective.